Millennials May Have Tinder But They Also Have Fewer Hook-ups

With dating sites like Tinder and OKCupid at their fingertips it seems Millennials can order up dates with the same speed you might order a pizza or Chinese takeout. But a surprising new study suggests that the Millennial generation has a changing attitude about relationships because they tend to have fewer sexual partners than generations past.

Mashable reports about the San Diego study that compares the sexual attitudes of generations past with those of Millennials. On average Millennials report having sexual relations with an average of about 8 partners while Gen Xers report somewhere around 10 and the Baby Boomers go for an even dozen. The study looked at data from over 33,000 individuals and controlled for age so that the results don’t simply reflect fewer numbers for millennials because they are younger than previous generations.

Co-author of the study Jean M. Twenge explains why Millennials might be choosing to have fewer intimate encounters than in generations past. For one thing, the HIV/AIDS epidemic from the 80’s and 90’s changed the way a lot of people thought about sex and probably influenced generations to come.

But Twenge also points out that the newer generations have parents that are a lot more cautious regarding just about everything. She says of Millennials, “It's the first generation to always ride in a car seat, have safer playgrounds, and have parents who won’t let them walk to the playground. Maybe that is coming into play with millennials — they’re more cautious.”

What do you think of the study that suggests the Millennial generation is choosing to have fewer sexual partners?

Do you think the way newer generations think about intimate relationships is changing and why?